[PubMaster]

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to extend an offering to everyone on this awesome website. I had recently helped a few people from another thread with their resumes and some general career advice, and it felt great being able to give back and give little tidbits of advice where I am somewhat knowledgeable.

My background is not in HR or anything like that, so the advice I’m offering you is maybe a little unconventional. However, I did recruit with and work with a Big 4 firm and now am working in the oil and gas industry. I’ve also been on both sides of the recruiting coin, being the network-er and the network-ee, for & with public accounting firms. I’m able to help with student, experienced hire, and non-traditional background resumes.

With that being said, feel free to post resume questions here into this thread. Or if you want me to actually look over your resume in more detail, post a screenshot of your resume to the forum (from imgur). Remember to take out your personal information.

Thank you for your time and this opportunity to be an e-mentor,
PubMaster

P.S. I am not soliciting any paid services from this – I genuinely want to give back through helping prospective new hires (in case any mods were wondering).

[Rummy]

Hi, I have too much white space at the bottom of my resume. I'm looking to join some societies and take up a leadership position. I work as a GL accountant in a mid-size manufacturing firm, but I want to expand towards a consulting firm. Even working in the accounting is fine. Any tips I should do?

[RE2PECT]

PubMaster was a HUGE help when I was updating my resume. He also gave me some great advice about career choices since I'm not working in the field yet. I would take him up on his offer.

FAR: 75 Roger & Ninja (notes/flashcards/audio/MCQ)
AUD: 73, 81
BEC: 71, retake 8/29
REG:

[CPAIN2K17]

Should you indicate in a section on your resume when you received your CPA, or should you just have the letters behind your name and that be all you mention of the CPA?

P.s. Not a CPA, just wondering for future reference.

[CPASF1]

Can you please give insight on how to contact someone for a job through email…so i tried to apply to a CPA firm in March and the online application just wouldn't send (maybe they had a bug in there)… so i called the place and the receptionist picked up and she said that to hold on and that she would talk to someone and then she came back a few minutes later and gave me one of the partner's emails and said that it would be best if i applied in mid-april… i have the email but i don't really know how to start and i don't want to blow it… should i start something like this….

Good Morning…..,
I called in early March and I received your email from your firm's receptionist and was informed that it would be best if I called in mid-April to inquire about a staff opening at your firm…
My name is…. and I graduated from… This position appeals to me because it offers me the opportunity to use the problem solving and analysis skills that I have developed in the classroom as well as the wide range of professional and technical skills I have gained through my internships and work experience.

The reason I am asking because I have used this format to apply to a few jobs and I haven't received an feedback which makes me think that i am doing it wrong. ( I graduated 2 years ago from college and I have accounting associate experience as well as a few accounting internships in a hospital and government) thank you so much!

[MaLoTu]

@CPASF – I am not the original poster, but noticed that they have not responded yet. Sorry to hijack the topic here, but I would discourage you from including this part “offers me the opportunity to use the problem solving and analysis skills that I have developed in the classroom as well as the wide range of professional and technical skills I have gained through my internships and work experience.”
Instead I would give a personal reason you want to work for the firm. Something that demonstrates that you did some research. This could be their industry of expertise or a specific client they service. This will make a much better impression on the partner. Additionally, instead of saying technical skills learned, I would try to provide an example of something you did and how you feel that benefits the firm. I don't know what your internship or previous experience was, but if you need additional help with this just reply.

Hope this helps.

[CPASF1]

@MaLoTu, thanks! in my cover letter i also include the following: can you please give insight on whether I should include this at the end… or is it too repetitive/ boring?

I have gained experience in several Accounting internships, including government, hospital, a small tax firm, and an engineering firm. Through these experiences, I have acquired many skills and have specifically excelled in:
· Attention to detail
· Creative problem solving
· Being flexible and adaptable
· Utilizing technology to accomplish various goals
With my skill set and willingness to learn, I hope I can be a valuable addition to ____ and I can be reached at your earliest convenience.

also is there a guideline on how long or short a cover letter should be, or what aspects should be included into it?

[Mike J]

Allow me to share my two cents.

I would avoid cliches–hard-working, problem-solving, etc.

Instead, I would show not tell. Provide an example of WHICH problem you solved and of course what the solution was. It could be as simple as you suggested a different vendor for paperclips. Maybe you found a better way to share information. Then, say how it helped efficiency.

I found these two articles during my travels:

https://www.workitdaily.com/resume-powerful-writing-tips/

https://www.workitdaily.com/quantify-anything-resume/

https://www.vault.com/cover-letters/article/letters/how-to-avoid-common-cover-letter-mistakes

…

Good luck! (Especially if you don't live on Long Island (my area) hehe).

[MaLoTu]

^^^definitely agree with Mike and that is kind of what I was trying to convey in my first post.

You are going to be one of 400+ applicants if you are in the Bay Area (I am currently an auditor in SF). You have to figure out a way to stand out while still being concise. Partners don't have a lot of time and don't typically enjoy spending their time on recruiting. At the staff level they don't expect that you know a whole lot. The best thing you can do is connect the dots for them. “My experience doing X has provided me a strong foundation for many technical skills that I can leverage in my career as an auditor(tax?). I have hands on experience with XYZ.”

Don't neglect soft skills like customer service or leadership.

Have a good reason for going into public and for why you feel you are a good fit for the company. In essence, this is why you will get hired at the staff level (and likely beyond).

[PubMaster]

I wanted to give people some time to reply so I could efficiently answer more questions, rather than checking in daily. Alas, I'm here.

Your questions will be in bold, and my answers below them.

Hi, I have too much white space at the bottom of my resume. I'm looking to join some societies and take up a leadership position. I work as a GL accountant in a mid-size manufacturing firm, but I want to expand towards a consulting firm. Even working in the accounting is fine. Any tips I should do?

What type of consulting exactly? Are you talking Management consulting, like working at MBB? If so, I do not know, as that's outside of accounting from what I can tell. I think you kind of answered your own question here though, to break in as an experienced hire you're going to need to network. Probably going to need to network more than a student, too. Joining societies, taking up leadership in said societies, and attending every networking session possible will be key. Alternatively, working with a recruiter may be an option to explore for you as well. Try networking with advisory groups within accounting firms and tell ask a recruiter if they have any openings or ins to advisory/consulting work for accountants.

Alternatively, try increasing the font size of your name to decrease white space below (this is slightly serious, slightly light hearted resume humor).

Should you indicate in a section on your resume when you received your CPA, or should you just have the letters behind your name and that be all you mention of the CPA?

If you're officially licensed, just put it behind your name. If you've just passed all four exams, put it under Education or so below.

Can you please give insight on how to contact someone for a job through email…

I believe the other two posters answered your questions really well and I don't really have much else to add to that. Quantify, be specific, make sure you can talk about your experience in detail, and keep that cover page no more than 1 page. Also, I'd personally attach the cover letter and/or resume in the email to a partner. Pdf will make it look more professional, and it's just a courtesy for their sake if they are so curious to want to know more about you.

Also remember with partner level, keep it short and very straightforward. You don't want to waste their time. Maybe call back and try to get an email to someone that is a senior to manager level.

At the end of the day these people just want to know that you 1. have a general baseline of knowledge and are willing to learn how to do things their way in public, and 2. that you're a cool person that they will get along with and enjoy working with.

Hope that helps! I'll stop in next week or so and see if there's any further questions.

[MMAFEM]

Hi,
Let me give you a little background about myself before asking my questions. I have recently passed all 4 sections of CPA exam, I have a Bachelors degree (120 credits) with a major in Economics. Now i got my degree back in 1999 and do not have any experience in the field of accounting or finance. Infact I had been a stay at home mom. The only work experience I have is of substitute teaching and teacher's aid in elementary school for a couple of months ( I am a certified teacher in NJ for K-6 but did not like it enough to pursue it further). Although I am only applying for entry level jobs at this point but looks like this lack of experience is holding me back. Should I mention my experience related to teaching in my resume? what is your suggestion about setting my resume? For now I have not mentioned about any work experience and i am just not sure if this is the right thing to do!!!
Thanks in advance for your time and input.

[PubMaster]

@MMAFEM – First off, congratulations on passing all four parts of the exam! Secondly, yes, I'd mention the experience you have. You should try to relate your experiences as a teacher to the position you're applying for. I know the technical skills aren't there, but you're applying to an entry-level, so that's okay. Your only other option is to try to relate your soft skills to the positions.

I think personally you'd have the best chance at a smaller CPA firm, where you could explain to them your past experiences of teaching and being a stay at home mom. They'd probably be a lot more understanding and willing to work with you on training and getting you up to speed.

Best of luck and keep us updated on your progress!

[JJ2992]

@PubMaster, thank you so much for doing this!

I currently work for the state as a financial analyst (for 2 years now)..I am looking to make a career change and get a job with the big 4. I am pursuing my CPA. I have some connections that are helping me get in touch with recruiters at PWC and EY.

This question isn't related to my resume, however I am having some trouble with the cover letter. What advice, if any, would you give that would help me stand out with my cover letter? Thanks!!

[Mike J]

JJ, scroll up to April 15.

[Books]

Once you have a license that can be verified put the CPA after your name. Passed parts drop it in the education section. If you do not meet the requirements in one state look to others.

[Author]

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